Anyone keep chickens?

[Anonymous]

Not sure if I should have put this off topic but it's sort of a project

I have a chicken coop to build and am struggling with design ideas. I knocked a small one up last year, a bit of a rush job and you can tell. Since then we have increased numbers and although they have quite a bit of outside space at night in the coop they look like illegal immigrants rammed in the back of a truck.

Plan is to make it walk in at about 10ft x 8ft. More shed than coop and I need it to look smart as you will see it as you come down my drive. The outside is easy, a quick walk round the garden centers or a search on google and I have loads of possible ideas. However inside is a differant story, can't find any information regaring set up inside. They are going to need nest boxes and roosting perches but as for sizes, shapes and distance off the ground I havn't a clue. We have one chicken that is much happier 15ft up a tree than in the coop so I would think that I will need some high up perches but then are the high ones going to s*** on the lower ones in the night. :?

I have also to work out how to shut the flap at night without going in the pen to keep Mr Fox out. Our cockerel wares a hoodie and carries a fick knife, it's not fun when he jumps ya at dusk :x

any ideas?

 

[Tusses]

Hi Andy

Yes

Chickens are happy anywhere, and if you give them loads of space, they will still huddle together ! specially in winter.

I think most designs say 1 Sq Ft per bird inside. so 3 x 3 ft for 9 hens :shock: yes, it looks small, but that is what I found when I searched.

Some indoor ideas here ...

http://www.downthelane.net/chickenhousing.php

I lost 11 hens one night as something forced the door and got in the coop It got through an unbelievably small gap ! So making it fox (or whatever) proof should be up there on your list too .

 

[dedee]

Andy,

this is our outside run.

Each half is about 3m square and the top is just under 2m high. Uncovered at the moment as the chooks are shut into a smaller secure run over night and when we are away.

Here is the smaller run, predator proof (I hope) .

The top hinges as does the end furthest from the coop and there are two small doors to allow them to access the larger run which is separated to allow summer/winter grazing and hopefully fresh grass all year round.

A few shots of the coop

The handle in this pic is pulled from outside the run so they can be shut in if necessary.

inside the coop

I have changed the inside a bit since this photo. There are now only 3 slats on the floor which support 2 large plastic garden trays (the type used for grobags etc) which are very easy to left out and clean.

here are the chooks, all bantams.

Hope this helps.

Andy

 

[powertools]

Chickens is my thing.
We have 4 but the house could take up to 12 and even with all this space they perch on 1 perch huddled together even in summer.
The perches need to be 5 or 6 inches off the floor and of flat wooden slat about 1.5 inches accross with rounded edges.
It is best to have a pull out floor inorder to keep it clean.
The nest box needs to be at one side of the house with a small entrance to keep it dark with a lift up lid on the outside to collect eggs.
This also should have a pull out or drop down floor.
We have a small porch in front of the pop hole on ours and only ever close the entrance to the main run at night because in the summer the hens will wake up at 4am and it could be several hours before they would be let out to the daylight and food.
If therer is any interest I will try and post pics.

 

[Sawyer]

I have six Marans, in a house about 3 foot square, not including the space for egg boxes and they seem happy as larry in there at night. I'd post some pics. but the site won't let me: keeps saying 'file size too large'. Any ideas?

Chicken keeping is great! They are very pleasent, restful creatures and the way they are treated by intensive farming methods is frankly obscene. I'm sure eggs taste better from birds with a decent quality of life.

 

[dedee]

I'd certainly like to see pics as it is always god to have a bank of ideas for the next coop or run.

The eggs definitely taste better and the yolks are bright yellow unlike the mass produced eggs which look insipid in comparison.

Although not shown in the pic of the inside of my coop the next box/egg laying area to the right has a removable slanting roof - doesn't stop them laying in the litter tray every once in a while though.

During autumn & winter we regularly let the chicks out into the garden but when the veg plot is in full swing during in spring and summer they have to make do with the large run.


Andy

 

[powertools]

Bit short of time till the weekend but I will try to post pics now but have never done it before.
If it dosent work I will sort it at the weekend
If anybody wants more info I will be pleased to help
Blimey it seems to have worked.
The whole thing is work in progress to create the ultimate hen house and run for the home hen owner.